Nick Saban didn’t need much time Saturday to identify the Big Ten’s biggest disappointment. On College GameDay, the former Alabama coach pointed straight at Michigan, and he did it with the Wolverines sitting at 3-2 and getting ready to host Penn State in a matchup of two teams still searching for a conference win.
“The disappointment for me is Michigan,” Saban said. “They haven’t found a way to utilize the personnel they have on offense, including Bryce Underwood, yet. If they could figure that out, they have the best defense in the Big Ten.”
He didn’t stop there. “If they could just play offense and score a few more points, they’re going to have a chance to get it turned around, but they’ve been a disappointment,” Saban added.
That assessment lands because Michigan’s defense has been doing plenty of heavy lifting while the offense keeps stalling out. The Wolverines haven’t allowed more than 20 points in any game, and they’ve kept all five opponents under 140 rushing yards and 3.5 yards per carry.
By GameOnPaper’s expected points added per play allowed, the defense ranks third nationally. The offense?
It sits 69th.
The gap between those two units has defined Michigan’s season. The Wolverines started at No. 16 in the AP poll, then slipped out after surviving Western Michigan 13-12 on a disputed last-second Hail Mary.
They briefly bounced back with a 17-10 win over then-No. 11 Oklahoma, but the follow-up has been rough: a 20-19 home loss to Iowa on the final play and a 20-14 defeat at Minnesota, which marked Michigan’s first road loss to the Gophers since 1977.
The Minnesota game, in particular, laid bare the offensive issues. Michigan managed just 180 total yards and, outside of a 52-point outing against UTEP, hasn’t cracked 20 points in any game.
The turnover problem has only made things worse. Michigan is 122nd nationally in turnover margin and gave the ball away three times at Minnesota, including once on special teams.
Underwood has been caught in the middle of it all. The sophomore quarterback has thrown five touchdown passes against four interceptions and has lost three fumbles while taking eight sacks. In the loss at Minnesota, the Detroit native went 10 of 21 for 101 yards with two interceptions.
Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham hasn’t made a sweeping change coming out of the bye week. “Jason is calling plays and Bryce is our guy,” Whittingham said Monday, leaving offensive coordinator Jason Beck in place. Still, backup Tommy Carr took half of the first-team reps by design, and Whittingham said Carr could get a series or two if that helps Michigan’s chances.
The quarterback picture has shifted around the league, too. Underwood dropped outside the top eight in this week’s Big Ten quarterback rankings, while Penn State’s Rocco Becht checked in at No. 8 with 11 touchdown passes and three interceptions.
Penn State comes to Ann Arbor at 3-3 and 0-3 in Big Ten play under first-year coach Matt Campbell, and its own offense has struggled on the ground. “We’re a run game without an identity,” Penn State offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser said this week.
Michigan and Penn State kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS from Michigan Stadium.
If the Wolverines lose, they’ll fall to 0-3 in Big Ten play with Indiana scheduled to visit Ann Arbor on Oct. 24.
In Other News...
Michigan Just Took A Tough Backcourt Recruiting Hit
Michigan had been in the mix for a major backcourt addition in Devin Cleveland, but the four-star guard chose Missouri instead, closing the door on what had looked like one of the Wolverines better recruiting battles. For a program that has already dealt with recent coaching turnover, with Mike Boynton Jr. taking over for Dusty May, losing out on a guard of Clevelands caliber stings a little more because of what he represented for the next wave of roster building.
The miss also leaves Michigan without an immediate impact backcourt piece in the 2027 class, which puts a little extra pressure on the staff as it keeps chasing perimeter help. There is still time for the Wolverines to reshape that group, but this was the kind of recruiting swing that can change the feel of a class, and for now it is Missouri that gets the benefit. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Already Faces A Tough Kyle Whittingham Reality
Michigans coaching search ended with a big-name hire in Kyle Whittingham, a move that instantly shifted the conversation in Ann Arbor from crisis management to expectation. After firing Sherrone Moore amid misconduct allegations, Michigan landed a veteran with a long track record of stability and success, the kind of presence that can calm a program that has been thrown into disarray. It is the sort of reset that usually comes with optimism, but it also comes with a familiar warning attached to any coach arriving from a proven stop: the rsum travels, the context does not.
Penn States decision to move on from James Franklin and turn to Matt Campbell only sharpens that reality, because it shows how quickly even established coaches can be judged by the latest stretch of results. Both Whittingham and Campbell bring respect from their previous programs, but midway through the season their new teams are already living with the same blunt truth - reputation alone does not fix immediate problems. For Michigan, the early returns will matter fast, because the patience that comes with a fresh hire can disappear just as quickly if the transition does not take hold. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Showed Real Firepower But One Issue Still Stood Out
Michigans offense showed plenty of juice in its second exhibition game, a 98-93 win over Oregon State that offered an encouraging look at how much scoring punch this group can bring. Elliot Cadeau led the way with 27 points, while Trey McKenney added 18 in the second half to help steady things, and Moustapha Thiam chipped in across the board with 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists. It was the kind of outing that reminded everyone Michigan can create points in a hurry when the rhythm is right.
Still, the game also left one familiar concern hanging in the background, even as the Wolverines finished on top. Oregon State got an early burst from DeShawn Gory, and Michigan had to keep answering rather than simply pulling away, which is the part worth watching as the exhibitions give way to games that count. The talent is obvious, but the next step is figuring out how cleanly it all holds together when the pressure settles in. [Read more 🡒]